National Museum of Vietnamese History, Hanoi Overview

Located in the Hoan Kiem district of Hanoi, the National Museum of Vietnamese History exhibits artifacts ranging from prehistoric times- about 400,000 years ago-up to the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Built in French colonial architecture with beautiful balconies, the museum has a collection of about 200,00 objects ranging from Axe heads to bright lacquerware.

The National Museum of Vietnamese History is spread across two sites and houses various artifacts from Vietnam's history. The museum houses around 200,000 items, spanning the Neolithic age, Bronze age, Sa Hunh, Oc Eo, and Hung periods, the Nguyen dynasty, the Cham period, and northern Vietnam's Dong Son, a culture that existed about 1000 BC-100 AD. It was earlier used as an archaeological research institution of the French School of Asian Studies.

Architecture

The architect of the National Museum of Vietnamese History was Ernest Hebrard. He incorporated design elements from China and France to create this imposing structure, which used to be the École Française d’Extrême-Orient, converted to a museum by the Vietnamese government after independence. The building itself is almost in the shape of a pagoda. It has double walls and balconies that create a kind of natural ventilation while also protecting the building from sunshine.

Exhibits

The National Museum of Vietnamese History consists of two sites, Site One is home to the prehistory of Vietnam, right up onto the reign of the Nguyen dynasty. This exhibit is over 2,000 square feet and is divided into 5 sections. Section 1 covers the Stone Age (30,000–40,000 years ); Section 2 displays the time during the Tran Dynasty; Section 3 is about the Ho Dynasty to the August 1945 Revolution, and Section 4 has Champa stone sculptures.

The main permanent exhibition is comprised of 18 pieces from the 7th to the 20th centuries - they were selected by the Prime Minister of Vietnam as "national treasures". The collection includes bronze drums and Ho Chi Minh’s prison diary.

Tips for Visiting

While the museum is easy to navigate and understand, sometimes having a good guide works even better.
This is because you will get a more in-depth look into the museum, and because the descriptions that have been translated to English are very limited - making it hard to understand at times.
Photos are not allowed unless you purchase a camera ticket.
This ticket costs VND 15,000. The National Museum of Vietnamese History has so much to offer to tourists and history buffs alike.

How To Reach National Museum of Vietnamese History

The National Museum of Vietnamese History is located in the Hoan Kiem District of Hanoi, and is very easily accessible and you can walk, drive or even take the bus to the museum. The buses that run to Museum are No. 02; 34; 44; 49; 51.